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Twin Fantasy - Excellent, Based on 2 Critics

Record Collector - 100Based on rating 5/5

100

Originally released on Bandcamp in 2011, Twin Fantasy marked 25-year-old Will Toledo's sixth album (yes, sixth) and while its original lo-fi, DIY sound found a cult following, Toledo was never fully happy with it. As such, he has reworked and re-recorded it, fleshing out the sound - and length - of the record, most noticeably on High To Death; lead single Nervous Young Inhumans, and Famous Prophets (Stars), which increases by a full six minutes and includes a beautiful piano instrumental section and a new ending: a glitchy, recorded voice reading a section of Corinthians. What is most enjoyable about the record is that, polished up, Toledo's lyrics become far clearer in the mix - and by god, can he write.

Thanks to its preternaturally complex song structures and close-to-the-bone recounting of sexual awakening, Twin Fantasy has built a devoted following since Will Toledo posted it on Bandcamp in 2011 at the age of 19. Three years after signing with Matador Records, Toledo has re-recorded the album with the aid of his seven-piece band, in effect rectifying the ramshackle musicianship and GarageBand fidelity of his original self-recorded version. While Toledo claims that he always intended to go back and “finish” Twin Fantasy, that very idea is anathema to what made the album so compelling in the first place.